The Controlled Act Explained
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 sets out 14 controlled acts that are inherently risky and should only be performed by a properly qualified professional to ensure client/patient safety. The controlled act of psychotherapy is one of these legally restricted acts.
It is defined as:
Treating, by means of psychotherapy technique, delivered through a therapeutic relationship, an individual’s serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood, emotional regulation, perception or memory that may seriously impair the individual’s judgement, insight, behaviour, communication or social functioning.
The controlled act applies to practitioners physically present in Ontario, and those located outside of Ontario who are providing services to clients in Ontario (example: via video call).